Driving to Ronda, Spain
12. Mai 2018 in Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F
This morning we left the Costa del Sol and headed for Albufeira, in the Algarve region of Portugal, the Southern coast. Rather than drive the quickest way, we chose to drive up in the mountainsWeiterlesen
Ronda, Spain
12. Mai 2018 in Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
Ronda is a village that a lot of people enjoy, and we would have too, except there was some kind of event--we think it was a bicycle race and we’re not sure what else was going on; people wereWeiterlesen
On to Albufeira Portugal
12. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
Then we went around Seville and crossed the border into Portugal. Upon arriving in Albuferia, the GPS lady couldn’t find our condo and took us all over on some one-track “roads” so we askedWeiterlesen
Albufeira, Portugal
13. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F
Jacob and Jodie met up with us in the afternoon, and we went into town. Albufeira used to be a fishing village, and now is a bustling tourist town with beaches, tourist activities, and nightlife.Weiterlesen
Land's End, Portugal
14. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F
We drove to the Southwest corner of the European continent, about one hour away. It is very windy and somewhat cool. The tip of the continent is the Cape of St Vincent, and has cliffs and a fort.Weiterlesen
Vida Nova Wine Tour, Guia
15. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F
Jacob and Jodie took us to a winery for a tour, and tasting, of course! Vida Nova means New Life. We found out why this area is so good for grapes--the abundant sunshine and constant sea breezes thatWeiterlesen
Sand City, Pera
16. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F
This is a huge, exhibit of over 45,000 tons of sand sculpted by an international group of gifted artists, which has been going on for over 15 years. Each year’s theme is different—this year's isWeiterlesen
Church of St. Lawrence, Loule
16. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F
We drove about 30 minutes away to the village of Loule, to see the Church of Sao Lourenco; that is the Portuguese spelling of St. Lawrence. It is a small church, but the inside is amazing—done allWeiterlesen
Seeking Laundry, Beach, & Dinner
17. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F
Jacob and Jodie left for home. It was sad to say goodbye, but we'll see them in England.
Now it was time to wash clothes. Our attempts to find a laundromat were funny: At our resort, there is none,Weiterlesen
Silves: Castle and Storks
18. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
This morning we drove away from the coast up into the mountains of the Algarve. In Silves was a castle, cathedral, and Roman Bridge, which we saw as we went by. Then we saw an amazing number ofWeiterlesen
Moseying in Monchique
18. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F
Monchique is a lovely old mountain town with winding streets to explore, and a ruins of a monastery high above it.
Monchique Locals
18. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F
This is a town where we saw real Portuguese people going about their day: men drinking coffee in the town square, people shopping at the market, a group of 5 women sweeping the church, and a sweetWeiterlesen
Mt Foia, Highest Point of the Algarve
18. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
We drove up to the highest point of the Algarve, almost 3000 ft. We could see the coastline and the Southeast point of Portugal on one side, and mountain farmland on the other. It was a lovely placeWeiterlesen
Vendas Novas B&B
19. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F
We drove to Vendas Novas, about 2 hours North. It was a beautiful drive through hilly terrain with lots more cork trees, vineyards, and wildflowers-mostly yellow and purple-everywhere. The hosts ofWeiterlesen
Enchanting Evora
19. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F
The 45 minute drive to Evora was lovely. More cork trees, eucalyptus trees, and storks—we even saw 13 nests on one high transmission line tower! We also saw ruins of a castle on a hill, cattle, andWeiterlesen
Evora Cathedral
19. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F
The cathedral is beautiful, as all of them are.
Views from the Tower
19. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F
We climbed the cathedral tower for great views of the city and surrounding countryside.
Roman Evora
19. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F
The town is known for its Roman architecture from the first century: city walls, an aqueduct and a temple. The aqueduct is in wonderful shape and the highest arch is 85 ft. high.
Lisbon's Golden Gate
20. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
We drove to Lisbon this morning, crossed the big red bridge (like the Golden Gate in San Francisco), with a statue of Christ nearby. We checked in at our B&B and our host gave us advice. We and droveWeiterlesen
Exploring Lisbon
20. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F
We couldn’t figure out the train or bus systems, so we finally talked to a Hop-On-Hop-Off bus driver and found out which one to take into the city. We were glad to ride around and get our bearings,Weiterlesen
Castle of Sao Jorge, Lisbon
20. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
We got off in a main square downtown and climbed the hilly route to the castle of St. George. We climbed and climbed, and finally saw the elevator we could have taken to get us most of the way up! TheWeiterlesen
Palace of Pena, Sintra
21. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F
Our destination today was the summer royal Palace of Pena, built on the site of the former Convent of Our Lady of Pena in the mid 1800s. We drove up and up, and once parked, we walked up and up someWeiterlesen
Sintra Palace Interior
21. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
The palace has older (first 3 photos) and newer sections (4th and 5th photos) and a chapel.
It was fun to imagine their life away from the city.
Palatial Views
21. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
Many rich people also built palaces in the area, so they could have the status of being close to the king. The first picture shows one of the closest neighbors. There were lots of great views from theWeiterlesen
The Palace Grounds
21. Mai 2018 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F
After lunch on the terrace, we walked through some of the 200+ acre park surrounding the palace and went up to the highest point, 1700 ft above sea level, where a cross stands. We walked throughWeiterlesen
